The Impossible Mission of Being a Normal Teenager
by littlemisswat
Summary: Cammie and Zach have escaped to Australia in order to dodge The Circle and ensure the safety of their friends and family, problem is will they survive in this new country- under cover?
1. Hello Australia!

A/N I don't own any of the Gallagher Girls Series:

I really enjoyed the series and wanted to know what happened next to I'd thought I'd make it up, so I'm going to start where the last book left off, only the good spy young, just so you'd know.

Enjoy! =]

Cammie's POV:

I lay on the lumpy bed, staring at the ceiling, worrisome thoughts whirling around my head. I had the left the only family and home that I had ever known. With a sigh I got up and stared at out the window, the harbour bridge stared back proving that I was really in Australia, that I had really flown 15230 km over the Pacific Ocean into this foreign country! There was no turning back. If I returned it would cause too big a turmoil, probably big enough for The Circle to find my location and kidnap me. But in this unfamiliar country I would be at a disadvantage as the people who had gotten me out of danger countless times before weren't going to be here to save me this time. Where my own skills enough to protect me?

At least Zach was here. In fact he was the one, who had suggested the whole 'running away idea', but I knew next to nothing about the guy, and the facts that I did know weren't very reassuring. His mum was an ex-Gallagher-Girl-turned-member-of-the-circle, and he went to the Blackthorn School for Boys that I recently discovered was NOT really a detention facility for delinquent boys but was actually a training camp for _assassins. YES_ ASSASSINS! But he _had _saved my life numerous times so I could probably trust him. At that moment his head poked from around the door.

"I ordered room service you can come eat if you're hungry." I was too busy agonising over my decision but now that he mentioned, my stomach was grumbling aggregately.

I turned from the window and made my way to his room, my stomach grumbling all the way. He eyed it amusedly.

"Are you really that hungry or are you constipated?" I glared at him with as much dignity as someone with a grumbling stomach could muster. His room looked exactly like mine except _his _was in pristine condition, neat stacks of clothes on a immaculately made bed, (they hold neatness in high regard in Blackthorne boys) on the table there the burgers and fries, not exactly crème brulee but it'll have to do. I sat down on the black padded stool and dug in.

When we had consumed the last oil-soaked french fries I wondered aloud "What are we going to do?"

Maybe voicing my worries would help my anxiety. To my surprise, Zach's face lit up into a mischievous grin.

"Since we're in a new exotic country, why not see what it offers?"

"You mean go SIGHTSEEING? Like a tourist?" I cried. How irresponsible was this plan? We needed to take steps to make sure that we are impossible to track down.

"Why not? Maybe you don't like to explore new places but I do." He replied calmly

"If we travel like tourists, we'll be too easy to track down!" I argued.

"Thousands of tourists visit Australia every year. Two teenagers aren't that noticeable, especially now since it's the holiday season. After the season is over we might enrol in a local high school or something, who knows?

"But what about money? You can't survive without money _anywhere_" I cried hopelessly, clutching my face with despair. Zach reached over the little glass table we had been sharing, and squeezed my shoulders comfortingly.

"We're going to be OK." he assured me. I looked up at his composed, entertained face.

"How? Exactly how are we going to survive in this world with no money? This is crazy! Maybe we should just let the circle catch me, then my friends and family will be safe!"

"Come on don't talk like that, I have a bank account with all my savings, that my mum doesn't know about we'll get by fine you'll see! We can also get jobs!"

He sounded so sure I was starting to feel a little better. But later that night when I was curled up under the cheap sheets I was still worrying; I mean we were in a foreign country for Christ's sake! We didn't know anyone here, but Zach was right, turning back was not an option now the only way was forward so worrying about everything was not going to help, we would have to cross our bridges when we came to them, maybe even literally.

The next morning the sun shone through the flimsy curtains onto my sleepy eyes leaving a kaleidoscope of reds. Ugh! Shouldn't no school mean no more mornings? But here I was awake at the early hour of six? Now there was no way I could sink into my blissful dreams of life before I knew the existence of the circle. Sigh. I may as well get up and try and look decent. Let me tell you bed head did NOT look attractive on me, no matter what position I sleep in.

When I saw my reflection I received a horrible shock; my hair was sticking up in strange brown knots and I had dark circles under my eyes and because I cried myself to sleep, my face was now covered in swollen red splotches. I unearthed my make-up bag from my suit-case and got to work. I used concealer on my eyes and red splotches and brushed some 'sweetheart pink' colour onto my pale cheeks. I chose a neutral eye shadow to disguise my tired looking eyes and brown mascara. O.k. good now I looked halfway human, I could go out of my room and eat breakfast.

Zach was already at the 'breakfast buffet' dressed and smelling wonderful (I still couldn't find some soap that smelt like him!) as usual, chewing on some raisin toast. As my stomach still hadn't settled from jet lag I opted for a bowl of porridge.

"You look tired" Zach commented as I sat down.

"I couldn't sleep." I replied.

"Worrying as usual? We'll be fine, you worry way too much for a chameleon" he teased. I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue instead I continued swallowing the bland concoction in front of me.

Business was the only way I was going to was the only way I was even going to have a chance at not staring stupidly at his chiselled features, his deep green eyes flecked with gold so business it was going to be.

"O.K. so today's timetable: we're going to withdraw money from your bank account go and look for apartments and bye our necessities."

"Yeah yeah yeah, you're so uptight we need to be careful but we also need to blend in, we should also probably get enrolled in the nearest high school."

Zach was right I was being too edgy and uptight. I'd have to try and act as normal as possible now that was going to be hard, I could dismantle a bomb in 30 seconds but be normal? That was tough.

Hhhhmmm… School, all Gallagher girls were taught how to forge documents, genuine looking documents were crucial when spies took on another identity. So if the forms did need parent signatures we could easily make up one then, forge it every time forms needed to be signed. We would probably have to find jobs too, although not the high qualification jobs that we were really capable of but normal high-schooler-extra-pocket-money-jobs. Maybe waitress or babysitter? The real problem though was parent interview nights. But I guess we would deal with that when the need arose. It seemed that Zach had thought thoroughly about this 'escape' plan and it might just work! I started getting the giddy adrenaline pump that I normally experienced before a cove ops mission.


	2. To tell or not to tell

A/N I don't own any of the Gallagher Girls series:

Sorry this is up so late, I had my yearlies last week so I didn't have the time, energy or creativity left to write and update. I also changed it to Zach's POV just to test it out. Tell me what you think week. I have not much idea what REALLY goes on in a guy's head, so you guys out there (or girls if you know how they think) please review and tell me how I did!

Well it's up now so that's good *deep breath of satisfaction* ;) Review and comment!

Zach POV:

I had always wanted to visit Australia and now we were here. I could hardly believed it even though I had been planning this escape for months, ever since I learnt that the Circle was after Cammie, I knew they would eventually catch her if she stayed in America as they already knew the locations of most of the places that she escaped to. So the only way that she was going to shake them off was to escape to another country, and so ever since I had been working out the details; getting a job and saving money, researching about the Australian Law system etc….

There might have been another reason, a reason in the form of Cammie Morgan. I had always had a crush on her and recently I think the crush may have turned into love. I don't know how it happened but it was the first time I felt the NEED to look after someone, I worried about her constantly; her safety, not to mention the automatic turning anxiety when I worried about her, whether she was injured, whether she was ok. Every time she smiled my face automatically lit up into a smile too. But I wasn't sure whether the feelings between us were mutual. So now I had her all to myself, maybe I had a chance to find out! Of course I couldn't let her know, that would be completely stupid and ruin my reputation. I'll just have to see if she feels the same way as I feel about her…. Just continue to be my nonchalant calculated self.

She was in the very next room I could hear her facing up and down her room through the thin walls, typical. She worried so much! If every little detail was not planned out and had the probable success rate of at least 75% she was going to worry.

How could she think on an empty stomach? I knew I couldn't, as if on cue my stomach grumbled loudly apart from the bland lunch we had on the aeroplane, we hadn't eaten. I called room service and ordered two servings hamburgers and fries. We would scout out the decent, cheap, cosy little cafes tomorrow.

Someone knocked on the door. Must be our meal! I opened the door in anticipation of the greasy aroma of fries, but when I opened it, I recognised the woman holding the tray to be a childhood friend of my mother's! I had met her only on one occasion so I didn't know whether she would recognise me or not. But one thing I knew for certain, she (like my mother) was in The Circle. I think her name was Caroline.

'Act normal and she might not realise who you are' I thought over and over as I smiled and reached to take the food-laden tray. But when she started to walk away she looked over her shoulder one more time and I froze with the fake-but-looked-real smile that I had mastered at Blackthorne Boys.

As I turned back inside I contemplated exacted what had just happened. It was highly possible that she didn't recognise who I was. She had only met me once after all. But some extremely skilled spies had the ability to remember every face they met or saw. I just hoped she wasn't one of them.

Then was the problem of Cammie. If I told her she was bound to worry even more that she was now, and I couldn't let that happen not now. Maybe if it turned out that Caroline did not in fact remember me then there would be no need to tell Cammie! I released my breath that I didn't realise I had been holding. She already had so much on her mind and it would just be plain cruelty to add more to her worries.

Cammie's POV: (the setting is now after breakfast)

I was now extremely pumped and felt ready to face anything. It had been a long time since the last time I was disguised as someone else and all complications aside it was extremely fun exciting.

"Don't be too obvious, and blend in, remember it's still the holidays here so everyone is relaxed and having fun. No one is worrying" Zach whispered. I glared at him.

"I am NOT worrying too much; we still need to observe all detail around us in case we need to make a quick escape!" I cried.

"Right, yeah sure, that would just make you look strange and suspicious, the exact opposite of what want right?" He smirked.

That shut me up. I guess if we looked around too much we would indeed either look like tourists or strange/suspicious weirdos.

"Now let's go and scout out the cosy little cafes around here." He said cheerfully, happy to have won this argument. Sigh, the male ego was so annoying!

I got up and followed him out the breakfast buffet. The sunlight streamed onto my face warming me from head to toe, it was winter in America and I missed the sun, it always seemed to be raining and cold EVERYWHERE.

Zach was looking at me curiously and I realised I had a huge grin plastered across my face.

"Wow, you change moods quickly, I swear just you were just angry."

I was just about to come up with a witty comeback but stopped; I let it go. I was feeling extremely happy and cheerful and I didn't want him to ruin my sunny mood. Zach seemed surprised I didn't argue back and smiled with a slightly bemused expression. We walked around the streets, occasionally stopping for l little bites to eat, testing out the environment of the local cafes. Licking on a 'gelatissimo' pistachio flavoured ice-cream I thought, 'Maybe being a normal teenager and blending in wasn't too hard after all!' I was really enjoying myself and feeling happier than I had in a long time, hey, maybe his could actually work out!


	3. I Love you!

A/N I don't own any of the Gallagher Girls series:

Thanks for all of your reviews! I am updating as soon as possible, but no one has given me feedback on my Zach POV. Please give me some feedback so I know if you guys like it! Sorry for the short chapter, I've been really busy recently….

Cammie's POV

Yesterday was such a wonderful day! For the very first time in my short life I felt LIKE A KID, or to more precise, a teenager. It was so great to laugh along about that weird man-disguised as statue or look sadly at the ice-cream that fell onto the pavement, then catch Zach's eye, see the amused twinkle and burst out laughing. I missed out a lot of 'normal childhood experiences' so now I was catching up, in this mini-holiday-like covert-operation.

But one thing was still nagging my mind. Zach had been acting strangely lately, sometimes being extremely nice, uncharacteristically nice. Other times, being coldly polite.

Then he would make up for being so nice by being so dry and sarcastic that he would leave confused and hurt; the other time when he said that he had to go somewhere, after dinner in a little cafe. I didn't fall for it but I let it go.

But I was scared. Maybe he had met a girl? That was the only possible explanation. But if that was _not _the reason I had no idea what on earth was happening in his head. Did he regret escaping withme? But that didn't explain the times he was unexpectedly thoughtful and caring; lending me his jacket when I started shivering the other night and letting me eat the blueberries on his pancakes because he knew how much I loved them.

I had always had a crush on Zach, since the first time I met him, when we bumped into each other, on my covert ops mission.

But I had never told him, I didn't have much experience with the male species as I went to an all girls' school with a few face changing male professors.

In fact before year nine, our school didn't even have a professor under the age of fifty. I smiled; remember the extreme measure we all took to try and catch Joe Solomon's attention. BS (before Solomon) I had never primped and fussed over hair, make-up etc and eaten a large, filling breakfast. But that morning everyone decided to skip breakfast and spend an extra hour grooming ourselves.

Back to the current problem; I was going to _explode_ if I didn't tell him. So I had to tell him of course… but I was scared, what if he really had met a girl, then it would be extremely mortifying. But as I said before, I couldn't look into his eyes every day, (those twinkling green eyes!) and pretend to be a friend. I just couldn't. So I came to the conclusion that I had to tell him. Then face the consequences, his reaction couldn't be as bad as all this worrying!

So tomorrow I was going to tell him. 'O.K calm down' I thought; over and over again. Come to think of it, I was actually strangely excited. There was the slightest chance that he might like me back and even though a good spy never hopes, but makes a prediction, I made an exception, just this once.

Just then Zach walked into the room,

"Ready to go and try another café?" He asked cheerfully. I froze.

Then I blurted out;

"I love you please don't make fun of me, do you like me at all? In that way? I mean it's ok if you don't and all, I understand, I just really, REALLY needed to ask you, you know, well yeah…, I'll stop talking now, I'm blabbering." I finished off lamely.

To my intense surprise, (and delight) he pulled me into his arms and tantalizingly brushed my lips with his,

"I love you too, my Gallagher girl" He whispered roughly. All this time, my heart was thumping in my chest, so loudly I was sure he would hear it too. I couldn't believe that his feeling towards me were mutual! After laughing while simultaneously sobbing into his chest, as I was nearly hysterical, he kissed the top of my forehead and gently said:

"Why don't we sit on your bed, I have to explain myself to you." I nodded weakly and sat beside on the bed in the new apartment that we rented.

"I actually really always had a crush on you." Seeing my incredulous expression, he chuckled.

"You may be one of the best at not being seen but trust me, you're not really good at taking subtle hints when someone is trying to show that they like you." That was true I guess. I had practically no experience in _that _field….

"As I was saying, I always had a crush on you, but I think it recently turned into love…" He trailed off. He looked back at me, then I realised tears were streaming down my face. This came as a surprise to me as I had never been the most sentimental person but I guess this is love! Making you cry and giggle at strange intervals.

He seemed a little worried by my tears.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine, _I _don't even know why I'm crying."

"Maybe this will help," He smiled and began showering my face with sweet kisses; my nose, my forehead, cheeks, chin. Then I found his lips found my mouth and they became rougher, more earnest. He nibbled my neck and I gasped.

"Stop! If we keep going we won't be able to stop." With a sigh he pushed himself off me.

Simultaneously, our stomachs grumbled.

He laughed,

"I guess our stomachs think so too. Let's go eat then!" And with that he gave a last peck on the cheek and helped me off my bed. With his arm wrapped around my waist, we walked out. My heart was over brimming with happiness. Just then a woman passed us, one of the maids, next to me, Zach suddenly tensed.


	4. Buzz Killer

A/N I don't own any of the Gallagher Girls series:

Thanks all of you guys, who reviewed, keep it up so I get motivated to write more chapters! I'm also open to any story ideas, or what you want the story to go like. I may not follow them; just letting you know I'm open to them. ;) I try to update as often as possible but sometimes 'life' gets in the way; assignments, tests, friends etc…. This week I had a lot of assignment due so sorry I couldn't post this up earlier.

Zach's POV

Was this a coincidence that she was here again? Or had she planned it, realising who I was and then observing our patterns and setting up an encounter? I felt Cammie tense too, having sensed me freezing. I smiled and nodded at Caroline so Cammie followed my lead and smiled too, god I loved how she always got what I was hinting at, we walked on and Cammie hissed in my ear;

"You have some explaining to do, what just happened there?"

"Wait till we're in the café." I whispered back.

We didn't talk again until we were seated at a cosy little booth in the MoS café, Cammie began to glare at me again.

Cammie's POV

I was confused, and angry, why hadn't he told me about the woman we saw in the lobby? She obviously scared him to some extent so who on earth was she?

I continued glaring at Zach, pausing only to order our meals (porcini mushroom and thyme risotto with grana pandano with a rocket salad). Finally Zach had finished looking around and assured that we were not being watched. He started explaining, with face set into a worried frown;

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything before but I thought maybe she wouldn't recognise me."

"Wait a minute, who exactly is 'she'?" I demanded.

"A childhood friend of my mother's, I only met her once, and that was when I was five." I smiled imaging what he looked like as a chubby little five-year-old.

He looked at me curiously and continued,

"I only actually met her once, when she was bringing us our chips. If I had told you that day, your worry-drive would go into complete overload." I guess he was right….

"Ok, you're forgiven; if I were in that situation I would have probably done the same thing."

He smiled sweetly, and then frowned anxiously.

"Do you think she recognised me?"

"Only extremely skilled and talented spies have the ability to completely memorise someone's face the first time they meet someone and there's only a very slight chance of that." I reassured him.

"But it was all my fault! I shouldn't have ordered room service, it was a stupid idea, if The Circle knew where we were the first place they would look would hotels, _of course_ they would have spies working in the various hotels." I hated watching him beat himself up.

"It's not your fault, how could you have known that ordering room service is dangerous come, on let's focus on the problem; we have to focus on a solution." I said resolutely.

"We obviously have to change our accommodations immediately. Hey! Why don't we go and rent an apartment? It would be way cheaper than staying in a hotel the whole time!"

"That's a great idea!" Zach agreed enthusiastically. You're brilliant. He pulled me into his arms and I was overwhelmed by his delicious scent. He kissed me softly and whispered in my ear, you're brilliant. I smiled and rested my head on his chest.

The next morning I was _glowing _like what you look like when you are perfectly happy and it kind of 'shines' out. Well I thought maybe on some days bed head _did _look good! I splashed my face with cold water to shake off the sleep and rubbed a little tinted moisturiser. I was in the mood for an 'au natural' look. I ran my fingers through my hair and slipped on a bright yellow sundress to match my sunny mood.

Zach seemed just as cheery. He was a white and blue striped polo t-shirt and denim cut-offs. He was grinning as he ate his pancakes dripping with maple syrup I sat down on the bed next to him on the couch and leaned my head on his shoulder. The warm morning sun was streaming in through the open window. He kissed the top of my forehead and fed me a spoonful of strawberries-and-pancakes. I felt that I couldn't be happier at that moment.

"Hey, want to go to the beach?." He suggested.

"Yeah ok. I'll go make a picnic. We can have lunch on the beach."I replied.

I hopped off the couch and busied myself making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (or jam as they call it in Australia). I grabbed a few drinks from the mini fridge and placed it in a straw bag as I couldn't find a picnic basket.

Zach smirked at me as he walked into the tiny kitchen.

"You look so angry when you're concentrating." He commented.

Until then I hadn't realised that my face was in a frown.

I blushed;

"It helps me concentrate!"

He chuckled.

"You also constantly feel the need to defend yourself."

I frowned again. I _did _always defend myself, even when someone was joking. It probably an instinctive reaction, as when you're on a mission, you need to be constantly on high alert and defend yourself _physically_. I should lose the habit though; sometimes being overly defensive branded you as a suspicious person.

I put the last of the sandwiches in the straw tote bag and handed it to Zach.

"You expect me to carry _this_? I look ridiculous" I rolled my eyes and sighed; guys, they are actually quite vain and never want to be seen with anything even _slightly_ feminine. I grabbed and bag and sighed again stomping out the door.

He followed and soon with where on the edge of Bondi beach. I plonked down on the sand and start spreading everything out.

"Hey, what are you doing? The beach is over there!"

Rolling my eyes I replied;

"You were the one who refused to carry the bag. I can't be bothered to carry it over it over there."

He sat next to me and pulled onto his lap. I sat there stonily glaring at an innocent rock.

"Come one please?" No response from me.

"Ok, ok fine. I'll carry over there but I didn't before to protect my reputation! What impression would a buy carrying a feminine straw bag have on you?" I softened just slightly, see what I mean about guys being vain? He saw my change in expression and attacked.

"Alright!" He exclaimed cheerfully and with that he hoisted me over his should, picked up the beach bag and marcher towards the centre of the beach.

"Put me down!" I cried; kicking and giggling. He reached a spot he was satisfied with and finally put me down. Gasping and laughing. I lay on his chest staring at the clouds, pointed out interesting shapes to each other. He sprinkled his kisses from my forehead and finally found my mouth I rolled on top of him and slipped his hand onto the small on my back and whispered;

"I love you my Gallagher girl" and then started kissing me again.

I opened my eyes so that I could see his gorgeous face and my gaze fell on a woman lying on a beach towel approximately ten metres away from us. I gasped.

"What's wrong" Zach groaned.

"Caroline she's here!" I sighed. Not only was she a potential threat she was interrupting my private moment with Zach.


	5. Do we trust her

A/N I don't own any of the Gallagher Girls Series

I haven't updated I over a year. Christ feels like a lifetime ago that I even thought about this story. It's been so long, that new books have been released. Eehk. I know that there've been new plot developments and stuff, but I'm going to continue from where I was up. My writing style's probably changed and I'm more than a little rusty, but tell me what you think.

Note- the first half was written ages ago, and I've just kept going. Can you guys tell … ?

Cammie's POV

Although my heart was pounding so hard it hurt, I feigned indifference and tried to remain calm. I could tell Zach was trying to do the same.

'Think!' I told myself. 'This is Bondi, One of the most famous beaches in the world. It is perfectly normal for a woman in her late thirties to be here. The chances of her being here just to try and grasp Zack and I were very little'. But as a spy of course, I knew to prepare for the unexpected and expect the unlikely.

So I nonchalantly started to slather on some 30+ sun block all over, passing the bottle to Zach then lay back in the sand, covering my face with a straw sunhat, hopefully concealing my face and therefore also my identity.

I strained my ears, making out soft crunching footsteps making their way towards us.

"Zachary! Is that really you?" exclaimed a sweet, slightly gravelly voice.

I couldn't see Zach's reaction through the hat but then, he said

"Miss Evans! What a coincidence! What are you doing on Bondi beach?" Zach answered, turning on his charm.

"This is Cady (Cae-di), a girl I met in the other day." I raised my arm and gave a friendly little wave, without removing my hat.

"Oh hello, she looks nice. But I haven't seen you in years! My, have you grown; you're taller as me now!" She went on.

"Yeah well it has been eleven years since we last met." Zach answered.

"Well what about your mother? How is she?" She asked. I froze.

"You haven't kept in touch with her?" Zach inquired.

"Well no, we've both been busy with our lives, careers you know." She retorted. Oh gosh. I couldn't even decide if that was a good or bad thing. If Caroline hadn't kept in touch with Zach's mum then we may actually get a chance to keep this tiny piece of newfound freedom that we had _just _obtained. Then again who knew exactly what Caroline was thinking and which side she was playing for? In fact; this could possibly be a hoax, Zach's mother may be watching us from a hidden camera _right this moment._

Those thoughts were marching around in my head as I tried to breathe as evenly as possible and anticipated her answer.

Caroline looked a little sad but also indignant "Of course not! Not after everything she did!"

Wait what?! This is new.. _not after everything she did_.. what had she done? Although knowing the kind of person she was I should really hardly be that surprised. I guess the more relevant question would be- what _else _has she done.

"I never really understood why she did it." Caroline sighed.

"One day she was asking me about The Circle and the next, she just disappeared. The next time anyone heard from her was about three years later. And it was all still very vague; just a very blurry picture with her and other Circle members at some sort of meeting. It was the biggest scandal- as you could imagine- the only thing anyone talked about for weeks and weeks. But I was not as surprised as you would think. I knew that day when she disappeared right after she asked me about that wretched Circle that it was anything but a coincidence." She sighed again and then gave a little shake of her head and chuckled bitterly.

I was shocked and a little confused. The sun suddenly seemed too bright and hot. I shifted on my towel, adjusted my sunhat and asked:

"What started all of this? I know no one except the members have any idea of why the circle exists and how but what prompted Zach's mum to have any desire to join? I mean at the Gallagher Girls Academy everyone knows that nothing good is ever associated with The Circle, so what on earth made her even _think _about joining?" I asked.

Caroline sighed.

"Catherine always wanted what she couldn't have. She just loved the chase. Didn't matter what "it" was, if you told her she couldn't have it, she would suddenly desperately want it. But then once she'd 'caught' whatever it was she'd been chasing after, she'd drop it, just like that." Caroline said snapping her fingers.

Ooook. I thought, the whole insight thing in to Catherine's character was all good was well, but Caroline hasn't actually given us any new _useful_ information. Like you know- why she actually joined the friggin circle.

It looked like that was all she was going to give us though. Caroline stood up and brushed the sand off her black jeans.

"It was so good to see you again Zach, and lovely to meet you Cady, but my breaks nearly over so I better get going. We'll have to have lunch or something sometime yeah?"

Zack and I shared a look. We still didn't know whether she really didn't know who she was or wasn't helping. But still, even if she didn't where Zack's mum was right now, she could have invaluable background information. It was probably in our best interests to keep in touch until we figured everything out a bit more.


	6. we'll see

A/N

Chapter 6

After Caroline left, we were silent for a while, both contemplating the things she'd just told us. I watched the waves crashing on the shore and thought it through. Meeting Caroline was a surprisingly development, the only problem was the dilemma of deciding whether this was a good one or not. We'd come to Australia to be escape, to escape the constant hounding and unpleasant shocks of the circle, to escape the well-meaning sympathy from the girls and teachers at the academy, but most importantly to escape the horrible feeling of anticipating the next attack. Having to constantly look over our shoulders and be on our feet. Running, always running, never stopping, forever thinking of the next step. I'd hoped we'd be rid of that in Australia but obviously fate had other things in mind.

I sighed and lay back on the towel. I was at a beach after all, in _Sydney; _might as well _try _to enjoy it.

Sometime after, I must've fallen asleep, because I opened my eyes, I was covered in Zack's sweater and it was dark. It smelled like him, clean soapiness and something else, delicious but indescribable. I blinked and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. How had I managed to sleep, on a beach, in _public _for so long? I really have to step up my spy game.

I sat up on the striped blue-and-white hotel towel and shivered. Even beaches in Australia get cold at night apprently. I pulled on Zack's sweater and got up and shook out the sand from the towel. Zack was walking back from the concrete ledge surrounding the beach carrying two paper bags.

"Hey you" Zack sat down next to me and opened up the paper bags to reveal two amazing smelling burgers and fries with some mayo dipping sauce.

"Aw yuuum, thanks Zack, how long was I asleep for?" I dipped a fry into the little plastic mayo pot and popped in my mouth. Mmm these were good.

"A few hours, about twenty minutes ago, I got a little peckish so I left to get some food." Zach unwrapped his burger and took a big bite.

"So. Caroline huh. It's pretty weird how we bumped into her in Australia of all places." I said tucking into my burger as well.

"Yeah, so weird that I have doubts about whether it was actually a coincidence or not." Zach replied.

"I have a feeling this means something, I'm not sure what yet." I pondered.

"I'm just trying to figure out if she genuinely isn't in contact with my mum anymore." Zach said.

"But should _we _keep in contact with _her?" _I pondered.

"I think we should keep in touch with her, until she reveals something important, good or bad." Zach suggested. That seemed like a logical plan, we'd continue talking to her and suss her out properly, then make a decision.

After polishing off our amazingly good burgers we packed up our things and headed back to the hotel. Zack was taking a shower and I was lying on the fluffy white bed staring at the ceiling when I realised something. School started in two days. TWO DAYS. Holy crap. This realization hit me like a tonne of bricks, there was so much stuff we had to do! Uniforms to purchase, forms to fill and documents to fake!

Ok slow down Cammie. Stay calm stop freaking out, make a list of what needs to get done and we can get them all done tomorrow. Taking a pad of paper and pen from the little wooden desk in the room, I sat down on the floor and made a list. Feeling a bit better with somewhat of a plan in place but still feeling a little on edge, I got up and walked around the hotel room picking things up and putting them down again. What if we completely mess up? What if I don't make any friends at the new school, and fail all the subjects and get kicked out and the circle finds us. What then?

I was still at it when Zach talked out of the bathroom still wet and dripping in his towel and raised an eyebrow at me. His hair was standing up every which way, having been mussed up by a towel and he was still wet. Water was dripping down his face, over his broad shoulders, his toned beautiful chest and into his towel. I sheepishly put the coffee tray I'd been fiddling with and sat down on the bed. I felt Zach sit down beside me and lightly touched my arm.

"Is everything ok?" He asked looking adorably concerned with his brow furrowing worriedly.

"It just sort of hit you know, what we've done; running away like this to Australia. What if it doesn't work? What if the circle finds us again and then we're just stuck in the same mess, just in a different location?" Zach pulled me into his warm, broad chest and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat helped calm me down a little.

"Hey hey, being a spy was never going to be easy, especially when you've got assholes like the circle chasing after us all the time. But it's never boring either. Maybe running to Australia won't be as simple as we both first hoped but really, nothing is. It won't be easy but we should expect this by now right?"

He did have a point. But I really missed my mum; and Aunt Abby, and Bex, Liz, Macey and all the other girls back at the academy. I even missed the seemingly endless Swahili lessons. Contacting them would be completely out of the question for a while. At least until we were sure no one had followed us out to Sydney.

"You're right. But we a lot of things to get done tomorrow so you better get up early."

Zack chuckled amusedly and gave me a squeeze.

"You worry way too much. Of course we'll have time to get round to everything tomorrow. Let's just stay in, and watch a ridiculously overpriced hotel movie and just relax for tonight." He declared.

"And you always know how to make me feel better." I smiled, climbing into the sheets and fluffing up a cushion. Zach climbed in next to me and I tucked my head into his shoulder.

Today wasn't as productive as it could have been, but I felt like I'd figured some things out. But tomorrow, we really had to pull our socks up and knuckle down to get everything on the list I'd written done.


End file.
